Cedric Paquette and Team QMJHL got the better of fellow Lightning prospects Nikita Nesterov, Artem Sergeev, and Andrei Vasilevskiy and the rest of Team Russia Wednesday night in Val d'Or, with Florida Panthers prospect Jonathan Huberdeau (2 G, 1 A) and two 2013 draft-eligible forwards, the highly-touted Nathan MacKinnon (1 G, 3 A) and Jonathan Drouin (1 G, 3 A) leading the way for the Q.

Vasilevskiy's numbers for the evening look ugly and he may not have been at his absolute best, but the young Russian netminder's performance was better than his numbers might otherwise suggest. On the balance, the Russian skaters played effectively in spurts but were also on their heels, losing battles along the boards and races to the puck, periodically.

Nesterov, who was reliable and versatile as he always seems to be for a good chunk of his ice time, probably wishes he could have some shifts back in the second during which he alternately was muscled off the puck, had his pocket picked and late getting to a loose puck in the neutral zone, his hesitation resulting in the puck getting chipped past him to set up the 2-on-0 break that ended with Huberdeau scoring Canada's second goal by quickly firing a cross-crease dish from MacKinnon past Vasilevskiy's outstretched right pad and skate.

Sergeev and Paquette quietly logged their minutes, though Paquette, who wasn't expected to play in this game, took an early penalty that gave Russia, which failed to score on the six opportunities it had, its first power play of the game.